The rain we’ve been watching all week is now close enough for the National Weather Service to sound the alarm. NWS Lubbock has issued a Flood Watch for Lubbock and much of the South Plains. It runs from 4 p.m. Thursday until 8 p.m. Friday, with heavy rain possible late Thursday into early Friday.
This updates our Tuesday look at Halloween weekend weather. The broad picture hasn’t changed: a soggy Thursday night and Friday, then a drier Saturday. What’s new is the watch itself, bigger rain totals in the forecast, and the state putting rescue resources on standby.
What the Flood Watch means
A Flood Watch means flooding is possible. It is not a warning that it’s happening. According to the weather service, widespread showers should develop Thursday afternoon and keep going through much of Friday. The heaviest rain is most likely late Thursday into early Friday morning, and that’s when flash flooding could happen.
The watch covers 24 counties: Lubbock, Hale, Hockley, Crosby, Lynn, Garza, Terry, Yoakum, Cochran, Bailey, Lamb, Floyd, Motley, Dickens, Kent, King, Stonewall, Cottle and Childress in the South Plains and Rolling Plains, plus Briscoe, Castro, Hall, Parmer and Swisher in the Panhandle. The weather service says it takes effect at 4 p.m. Thursday and is set to end at 8 p.m. Friday. As of about 9:20 a.m. Thursday, the watch had not been upgraded or changed since NWS Lubbock last updated it at 2:52 a.m., and no flood warnings were in effect for Lubbock County.
Forecasters say the moisture comes partly from Tropical Depression Vance in the eastern Pacific, meeting a disturbance moving over the region. Their overnight discussion called for widespread rainfall of 1.5 to 2 inches, with locally higher amounts possible. NWS Lubbock’s Flood Watch graphic, updated at 5:34 a.m. Thursday, says 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible across the watch area.
The forecast, day by day
Here’s the NWS forecast for Lubbock as updated at 8:30 a.m. Thursday:
- Thursday: Areas of fog before 10 a.m., then a chance of showers in the afternoon and storms later in the day, a 40% chance. Mostly cloudy, high near 72.
- Thursday night: Showers and thunderstorms, a 100% chance. Low around 57, with 1 to 2 inches of new rain possible.
- Friday: Rain showers, a 100% chance. Cloudy, high near 63, with another 1 to 2 inches of new rain possible. Forecasters expect rain rates to ease as Friday goes on.
- Friday night: A 40% chance of showers before 1 a.m. Cloudy, low around 54.
- Saturday (Halloween): Mostly cloudy and dry in the current forecast, high near 71. Saturday night is mostly cloudy, low around 57.
- Sunday: Mostly cloudy, high near 73, with gusts up to 25 mph. A 40% chance of showers and storms Sunday night.
State resources on standby
On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of the rain. The state listed the South Plains among the areas where forecasters had the greatest concern about excessive rainfall. The resources include swiftwater rescue boat squads from Texas A&M Task Force 1, game warden boat teams and helicopters with hoists from Texas Parks and Wildlife, DPS troopers and helicopters, and ambulance and medic teams from the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force. TxDOT crews are watching roads, and the Public Utility Commission is monitoring for power outages.
Why Lubbock streets fill up, and what to do
If your street turns into a creek tonight, that’s partly by design. In a 2023 KCBD report, the city’s engineering division director explained that Lubbock is a surface-draining city: streets are built to carry rainwater to the playa lakes. Normally, streets should clear within about 30 minutes after the rain stops. Heavy, steady rain can push that system hard, though, and water in an intersection or underpass can be deeper than it looks.
The city expects some of that pooling. “As far as reporting flooded streets, most citizens are aware of how our stormwater system works,” Lacey Rose, the City of Lubbock’s Director of Communications & Public Engagement, said in an email Thursday. “There will be a short period of time that water will pool in the streets until it is dispersed through the system. However, there is an option through the MyLBK app that folks can report ‘standing water.'”
Rose didn’t name specific streets or underpasses expected to close. She pointed to one familiar trouble spot: “Usually, when there is a significant rain, there are low lying areas near Mackenzie Park that become not ideal for passing. Our crews will barricade those if the need arises.”
Public Works said no closures are planned for now. “We don’t anticipate the need to barricade any roadways at this time,” David Bragg, the City of Lubbock’s Division Director of Public Works, said in an email Thursday morning. “City crews are always on call and ready to deploy barricades to block streets if flooding presents a hazard.”
The weather service’s advice is simple: Turn around, don’t drown®. Don’t drive or walk through floodwater, and never go around a barricade. Keep kids away from flooded ditches and playa edges. Check road conditions at DriveTexas.org before longer drives. If you see someone in danger in moving water, call 911.
What it means for this week’s plans
A few things are already shifting:
- Broadway Block Party: Texas Tech moved Thursday night’s basketball celebration off Broadway and into United Supermarkets Arena. It runs 7:45 to 9 p.m., with doors at 7. Admission is free, the clear-bag policy applies and concessions will be closed.
- Early voting: Friday is the last day of early voting. Lubbock County Elections lists Friday hours as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at its early voting locations; see votelubbock.gov for the list of sites. If you’re heading out in the rain, give yourself extra time. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
- Friday Halloween events: Many trunk-or-treats and parties are set for Friday night. We haven’t seen widespread cancellations, but check the organizer’s page or social media before you load up the kids. Our Halloween week guide and trunk-or-treat list link to each event.
- Saturday: The current forecast looks drier for Halloween, for Saturday morning plans and for Texas Tech’s 11 a.m. home game against Arizona. Yards and fields may still be soggy.
This story reflects National Weather Service information as of about 9:20 a.m. Thursday. We’ll keep an eye on the forecast and update this story if the watch changes or warnings are issued. For the latest, follow NWS Lubbock.
Sources
- National Weather Service Lubbock, Flood Watch (updated 2:52 a.m. CDT Oct. 29, 2026; in effect 4 p.m. CDT Oct. 29 to 8 p.m. CDT Oct. 30; checked 9:20 a.m. CDT Oct. 29): https://api.weather.gov/alerts/active?zone=TXZ035
- National Weather Service Lubbock, Area Forecast Discussion (6:06 a.m. CDT Oct. 29, 2026): https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=LUB&issuedby=LUB&product=AFD
- National Weather Service, forecast for Lubbock (updated 8:30 a.m. CDT Oct. 29, 2026): https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.5779&lon=-101.8552
- National Weather Service Lubbock, Flood Watch graphic (updated 5:34 a.m. CDT Oct. 29, 2026): https://www.weather.gov/lub/
- Texas Division of Emergency Management, Governor Abbott activates state emergency response resources ahead of Texas flood threat (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.tdem.texas.gov/press-release/10-28-26
- KCBD, the same release as published Oct. 28, 2026: https://www.kcbd.com/2026/10/28/governor-abbott-activates-state-emergency-response-resources-ahead-texas-flood-threat/
- Texas Tech Athletics, Broadway Block Party moves to United Supermarkets Arena: https://texastech.com/news/2026/10/15/mens-basketball-tech-basketball-set-for-broadway-block-party
- The Daily Toreador, Inclement weather forces location change for Broadway Block Party (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.dailytoreador.com/article/inclement-weather-forces-location-change-for-broadway-block-party-20261028
- Lubbock County Elections, Notice of Early Voting, Nov. 3, 2026 General Election: https://votelubbock.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026-November-Notice-of-Early-Voting-Dates-Times-and-Locations.pdf
- KCBD, Sydney Lowther, Why do Lubbock streets flood every time it rains? They were designed to. (June 2, 2023): https://www.kcbd.com/2023/06/03/why-do-lubbock-streets-flood-every-time-it-rains-they-were-designed/
- National Weather Service, Turn Around Don't Drown: https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown
- Lacey Rose, City of Lubbock Director of Communications & Public Engagement, email to Hub City UnCovered (Oct. 29, 2026)
- David Bragg, P.E., City of Lubbock Division Director of Public Works, email to Hub City UnCovered (Oct. 29, 2026)
- Hub City UnCovered, Halloween weekend in Lubbock forecast (Oct. 27, 2026): https://hubcityuncovered.com/?p=271
